Faculty Achievements

Congratulations to Dr. Robert Schober, who was awarded the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Professorship. This is Germany’s highest-endowed international research award, worth up to five million euros. The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation honours world-leading international researchers, working across all disciplines.

Congratulations to Dr. Rabab Ward, who was presented with the Paradigm Shifter Award by the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST). SCWIST celebrated their 30th anniversary as an organization at a gala held at the Four Seasons. SCWIST is a society that was started in Vancouver that promotes, encourages, and empowers women and girls in science, engineering and technology; it has grown substantially since its inception in 1981.

Aneurysms occur when arterial walls begin to weaken, causing blood to create a bulge. Aneurysm ruptures result in death in 60% of those who suffer from them. They cause permanent disability in 50% of those who survive the rupture. Considering these astounding rates, it is not surprising that researchers are attempting to devise tools to better monitor aneurysms and possible ruptures.

Subject:
Nanotechnology
Imagine going through your day completely unaware of tiny machines keeping you alive from the inside. With Dr. Kenichi Takahata’s new research, this could become a widespread reality. Dr. Takahata and colleagues have developed a device that acts as a “smart” variety of the cardiac stent. Unlike the traditional tubes, which are implanted to expand clogged coronary arteries, this stainless-steel machine also has micro-sensors, which can monitor conditions inside the arteries. Acting wirelessly, this device can send indications if the stent is failing.

Subject:
Nanotechnology
Dr. John Madden and an international team of collaborators have invented new artificial muscles strong enough to rotate objects more than a thousand times their own weight. Yarns composed of carbon nanotubes rotate in a manner similar to flagella of bacteria, elephant trunks, and octopus limbs. Dr. Madden and colleagues' article in the forthcoming issue of Science, entitled, Torsional Carbon Nanotube Artificial Muscles, details this research and its intriguing implications.

Subject:
Awards
On its 100th Birthday, IEEE Vancouver Section honoured its most influential contributors. Centennial awards distinguished members who have been influential in the development of Canadian technology, keeping the Vancouver Section or the IEEE vibrant and flourishing. The contributions of four Professors with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering were acknowledged.

“Collaboration is fundamental to success,” says Professor Peter Lawrence proudly.
After 37 years in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), Lawrence counts faculty from 10 different UBC departments, numerous industry collaborators and thousands of students — both undergrad and graduate — as essential to his success.
Driven by his interest in improving the human condition, Lawrence focused his research on the interface — the collaboration, if you will — between humans and machines.

Congratulations to ECE doctoral candidate Pooya Jaferian, first coauthor of "Heuristics for Evaluating IT Security Management Tools," and his co-authors at LERSSE and CA Technologies. This paper was selected as the Best Paper at the Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security (SOUPS), the premier research venue in usable security.